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Computer Boot
DHTech:
So how are you guys booting your computer inside the cabinets? Looking to auto boot from mains power on and not use the power button!
keilmillerjr:
I believe you might find what you are looking for in the computers bios.
JDFan:
For mine I ran the 2 wires from the power button to an arcade button placed on the backside of the system and then set the options for the power button to shut down the system - that way one press of that button turns on the system if it is off or shuts down the system properly if it was on.
Problem I ran into with trying to run it without using the power button is even with it set to turn on when power is plugged in (or smart strip is turned on) was easily done by ensuring it was set to restart after power loss was shutting down the system properly instead of just turning off power which could cause system corruption. (could work if you set it to restart on shut down instead of just shutting down but then you need to turn off power after it shuts down and before it restarts - so was easier to just add a power button on the back of the system instead.)
Nephasth:
Here's an arcade button I installed just inside the coin door, wired to take the place of the computer's power button.
Installed inside the cabinet.
View through the coin door.
Chris John Hunter:
When you open a computer case, there is a circuit board with the on off button plus reset (on some) you unscrew it, mount it behind a standard push button (at the back of mine- generally fairly long reach) without a microswitch, so every time you press it it pushes back and hits the on off button.
With the monitor if you took it out of its casing for mounting like I have, you find that if you leave it on it stays on. So when you turn your computer on the whole thing comes on.
Really wouldn't recommend you try to do it from the mains only. Because if you have problems your playing with hot hardware. I.E its on! If you use a button its off. Although you could do the same with the monitor button.
This techinque works well. Most computers (if not all) use a separate circuit board - small thin easily mountable. Take care to check how its mounted as you unscrew it and mount it in a similar manner.